


Choices

by BrowncoatGryffindorintheTardis



Category: Doctor Who
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-11-15
Updated: 2012-11-15
Packaged: 2017-11-18 17:13:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 780
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/563456
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BrowncoatGryffindorintheTardis/pseuds/BrowncoatGryffindorintheTardis
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>11 ignores every instinct to stay away from that time where it could happen, it probably...no definitely shouldn't happen. <br/>If his 9th self could go back and give her that red bicycle then why couldn't he just go and...see her. Just for a moment.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Choices

He really wasn't supposed to be here.

He had felt it as soon as they’d stepped out of the Tardis doors. Everything was too fresh, too similar to memories of, quite literally, another life.

Amy was, of course, in her element; London in her own time, with an unlimited credit card. He’d sent her off telling her to keep her phone on, not to get into any trouble and to be back by sunset.   
She’d only given a moment’s contemplation to the possible reason behind why he wasn't coming with her, before shrugging it off and putting it down to some sort of ‘Official Doctor Business’ that he’d tell her about later.

He’d watched her red hair disappear amongst the heads of the countless other weekend shoppers before taking a deep breath and allowing his feet to lead him in the direction of a building that held far too much significance.

**

He must have stood opposite the grand department store for at least ten minutes before he’d allowed himself to even contemplate going inside. He just stood there, observing the coming and goings of the various customers. He wondered if any of them had spoken to her, perhaps for some meaningless piece of information they’d forget as soon as they’d left the shop.  
He felt jealous of them; they could see her and talk to her with no universe ending implications, they could take the fact that she was there, completely for granted, when he’d been robbed of such a luxury. These people who had no idea just how utterly beautiful and brilliant she really was.

He finally decided to step inside the store after an hour of standing and staring in from the pavement opposite. He felt nervous, naughty almost, as if he was breaking some grand unwritten rules, which he was of course. But there was an unfaltering voice inside his mind that was urging him onwards.  
He may be a different man now, but he had the same memories, and when so many of those memories were of a certain pink and yellow human who had managed to take over his Tardis and completely steal his hearts, could he really do anything else than catch a quick glimpse of her?

He let his eyes wander around the countless displays of clothes and mannequins before he saw her, just for a second before she disappeared amongst the shoppers. He thought he’d lost her again when he heard his second favourite sound in the universe; her laugh.  
He knew that sound anywhere.   
He’d once been able to hear it through three miles of jungle when she’d wandered off and managed to discover an indigenous species that looked just like Ewoks and communicated through tickling.

As he made his way over to the location of the long missed sound, his hearts ached a little with the memories of the times he’d made her laugh like that. Sometimes by doing something that he’d found completely normal but had somehow managed to amuse her so much she’d grasp onto the rails in the console room to hold herself upright or when he’d done something purposely after he realised how happy it made him purely to make her smile.

**

She looked exactly the same as his Rose when they’d first met, he actually found himself trying to figure out how long it would be before his ninth self bounded into her life and she’d take over his.

A colleague called her name from somewhere behind him and he felt his breath catch in his chest as they locked eyes for a fraction of a second.

She held a hand up in her ‘give me two more minutes’ gesture, one that she’d used quite regularly with him when she’d been on the phone to her Mum and he’d been anxious to get off on their way to their next adventure.

**

Seeing her like this, so much like his Rose, was too much for him.  
He figured he had one of two choices; either take one last look and leave the store or pluck up the courage to do what he’d come here to do.

He took the last few steps towards her and ran a hand through his hair, it was now or never.  
No second chances.

He’d wrapped his arms around her, dipped her and pressed a soft kiss to her lips before his brain had even had a chance to focus on what was happening and why it was probably a terrible idea.

As he brought her gently back up to her feet, he couldn't help but smile at the completely bemused but not entirely unhappy look on her face.

“Hello Rose...”

**


End file.
